Hits and misses
Presented on the very threshold of major Assembly elections this month, Budget 2022-23 is significant in eschewing self-defeating populism that was de jure. It has also in a similar vein apparently put growth over fiscal deficit worries. But then of this, ₹1 lakh-crore that was to have been borrowed by the States is now a loan to them from the Centre’s account — just a transfer of onus. The key must lie in the full and even utilisation of this kitty.
Though funds available to MSMEs have gone up substantially in this Budget, the problem till now has been with the lower end of the sector that was unable to have access.
